


Lightning Falls

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Embers [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, Apocalypse, Character Death, Death, Dragons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Loss, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reunions, Sacrifice, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 02:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: In the alternative future where the Dragons have won, Fairy Tail and mankind in general stand on the edge of extinction. And within the smouldering ruins of Magnolia, Natsu stumbles across a family member he never expected to see again, allowing old grievances to be laid to rest as the past and present collide.





	Lightning Falls

_‘Human Life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lighting’ – Samuel Butler_

****

The world had gone to hell.

    That was all that Natsu could think as he gazed out over the burning ruins of what had once been Magnolia, his eyes burning as he fought to hold back the tears filling his eyes. In the early days of the battle against the Dragons, he had tried desperately to save the town, putting out every fire that he could, trying to save even one building - one home. But it had been a losing battle from the start, and at some point, he had admitted defeat, and the town had been burning ever since, slowly turning into an ocean of devastation that bore no resemblance to the bustling town that had been his home.

   In a few places, there was the odd building that had survived enough to be recognisable. Kardia cathedral was a burnt-out shell, but it still acted as an easily spottable waypoint…the small bakery where Erza had always brought her favourite cakes…the guild hall… His hands clenched as he turned to look at the remains behind him, and he finally lost the battle against his tears as he stared at the building that had been his home and family for so many years. It had been one of the first buildings to be targeted, and there had been nothing any of them could do except flee to a safe distance and watch as it disappeared in Dragon Fire, but it hadn’t been their biggest loss that day.

    Enraged by the loss of the guild hall, and by the attack on the city that had followed, Makarov had charged into battle with a fury thàt had been terrifying to behold. But for all his strength and experience there had been nothing he could do against the attacking Dragons, in a fit of desperation he had cast Fairy Law and for a moment, they had thought - hoped...that their guild's magic would do what his own magic hadn’t. Yet when the light had disappeared the Dragons had remained untouched, and it was at that moment that they had begun to realise that this might be a fight that they couldn’t win.

    Makarov stunned by the failure of the spell had been to slow to defend against the next spell, and Natsu ground his teeth together as the image of the Old Man being consumed in the Dragon’s fire flashed through his mind, they had all be frozen in horror, unable to comprehend what was going on. The only one that had been able to react had been Happy. The brave Exceed charging into the fire in the hopes of pulling their Master free, and neither of them had returned. The realisation that his partner was gone had broken the paralysis lying over Natsu, and his fury had pushed his magic into Dragon Force, and he had thrown himself into the battle, the rest of the guild following his lead as their own shock faded into furious grief.

   They had lost so many that day Gramps…Happy…Max…Reedus…Kinana…Bisca…to name but a few and that wasn’t even including the townspeople that hadn’t managed to escape in time. Natsu had nearly joined them. He had been so blinded by his fury that he had been unaware of how severely injured he was, or of how much magic he had used up until he had collapsed to his knees mid-attack. If Gray hadn’t managed to blast him out of the way with his ice, he would have been killed by the Dragon that had slammed into the spot where he had been only seconds before. Not that he’d been grateful back then, lashing out at anything and everyone as he tried desperately to leap back into the battle despite being in no condition to do so. In the end, after Mira’s attempts at casting sleep magic on him had failed, Erza had resorted to simply knocking him out before sounding the retreat.

   He hadn’t regained consciousness until three days later, waking to the news that Magnolia was nothing more than a smouldering ghost town. Learning that most of the guild had split up into groups, heading off in different directions in the hopes of avoiding detection as they set off to find what had happened to the other guilds and to search for some way to defeat the Dragons. His fingers brushed against a particularly nasty scar on his arm that remained from that day. He had barely spoken to the others back then, lost in his grief and anger, and his new hatred for Dragons. But that had all changed when they had reached Crocus a couple of weeks later…

   Natsu blinked, the whirling stream of thoughts and memories drifting to a halt as he picked up the faint smell permeating the air. His brow furrowed and there was a flicker of recognition in the back of his mind, and curiously he raised his nose and carefully sniffed at the air, forcing himself not to recoil from the lingering smell of death that he could detect beneath the much stronger scents of burnt buildings, smoke and the overwhelming stench of Dragons. It took him a moment to find it again, and he knew that if it weren’t for his Dragon-slayer abilities, he would never have been able to pick it up. That thought was quickly discarded in favour of the realisation that he did know this scent and his eyes widened as he connected a name to the smell even as he darted forward in pursuit of it.

_LAXUS!!!_

**

    Cursing the smoke and scent of burning materials filling the air, he followed the elusive scent through the ruined streets, clambering awkwardly over the piles of rubble that blocked his path and paying no heed to the fresh cuts and grazes that were littering his exposed skin. Darting between two buildings he came to an abrupt halt as he stepped into what was apparently a recent battlefield, and his eyes widened as he spotted a body crumpled in the shadow of the neighbouring building and shaking off his shock he hastily made his way across to it his heart pounding frantically in his chest. _Please… please be alive…please don’t be dead…_

    As he drew closer, he recognised the distinctive green hair and burgundy coat despite their tattered and badly charred condition, and he darted forward with a desperate cry on his lips.

“Freed?! Freed!”  There was no response and dread was already pooling in his stomach as he dropped heavily to his knees beside the downed mage, and as he got his first proper look at the other man he felt nausea welling up, and he had to clap a hand across his mouth to stop himself from throwing up. The swordsman’s chest had been sliced open from shoulder to waist, the wound deep and messy and Natsu closed his eyes for a moment - that wound came from a Dragon’s claw, it was the same as the one that had taken Gajeel from them months ago. Taking a shaky breath, he opened his eyes, forcing himself to reach and check for a pulse although he knew even before he did that it was too late. He was always too late. “Damn it all…” He hissed furiously as he pulled his fingers back, shuddering as he realised that they were now covered in the other’s blood and he hastily wiped it on the tattered material of his vest. Freed’s eyes were still open, and he swallowed hard as he met the dead stare, easily able to imagine the pain and fear that must have filled them in the last few minutes of his life. Although his final expression was one of acceptance and with shaking fingers Natsu reached out to gently close his eyes.

_Be at peace…_

    Remembering the scent that had lead him here and realising that there was nothing more he could do for Freed, Natsu staggered back to his feet and turned to survey the area. If Freed was here, then there was no way that Laxus would have gone far. He resolutely refused to consider how bad the Lightning mage’s condition must be, even though he knew that there was no way the older man would have let his teammate die without a fight. Fear churned in his chest at that thought, and he hastily moved forward, sniffing the air with fresh desperation. He had to find Laxus. The Lightning mage’s scent was much stronger here, but it seemed to be all over the place, and he quickly gave up on using it to find the other man.

“Laxus!” He shouted, not caring about the danger of the noise carrying at that moment, turning in all directions as he listened for a response. The silence that met his call only increased his worry… _if Laxus couldn’t reply…he could be…No…I can’t think like that…this is Laxus…he can’t be dead…_ he tried to avoid looking back at Freed, knowing that if he did he wouldn’t be able to hold onto that belief and instead he began to search through the rubble, praying that the other Dragon-slayer wasn’t buried somewhere.

   It was nearly ten minutes later that he finally located the Lightning mage slumped against the wall just inside one of the side alleys, clearly having retained enough strength to stagger to relative safety at some point, although it must’ve been the final push that sent him into unconsciousness.

 “Laxus…” Natsu breathed in horror, as his eyes raked over the Lightning Mage’s body, taking in the numerous wounds marring it with growing fear. A lesser mage would have already died from those injuries… _but this was Laxus, right?_  “Laxus? Laxus can you hear me?” He called urgently as he reached the other Dragon-slayer, relief nearly sending him crashing to his knees as he realised that the other mage’s chest was rising and falling albeit laboriously, although there wasn’t the slightest sign that he had heard his calls and his relief was rapidly replaced by concern.

   Glancing around he spied a building that had managed to remain somewhat intact as it was lodged between two taller buildings that had taken the brunt of attacks, it still wasn’t ideal, but it was the probably the best shelter they were going to find. Hesitating for a moment, he looked down at Laxus, sure that there was no way of moving the other mage without risking further damage to his already injured body. However, they couldn’t afford to stay out in the open for much longer, and it didn’t look like the Lightning mage was going to wake any time soon and even if he did there was no way he would be capable of helping.

    Nodding decisively he crouched down, and carefully eased the larger man onto his back, grumbling softly at the weight although his movements remained steady and gentle as he secured Laxus in place, before struggling back to his feet. He could feel the Laxus’ blood soaking through his vest, and he tried not to gag at the sensation, instead forcing himself to focus on picking the smoothest path possible through the rubble, aware that the slightest jolt could hurt Laxus. It was only a short walk, but Natsu was breathing heavily by the time he reached his goal, carefully easing them both through the partially collapsed doorway and looking around warily.

    The hallway was littered with rubble, but from what he could see the front room was mostly intact and with a sigh of relief he headed for it, ignoring the ache forming in his shoulders. Still, there was relief when he stepped into what had once been the living room, although at some point it had apparently been stripped bare by looters. Not that it would have done them any good, in the long run, and he quickly but carefully laid Laxus out on the ground, disheartened to see that even the movement hadn’t helped to rouse the other Dragon-slayer. For a moment he hesitated, and then with a decisive nod he turned and headed back outside to retrieve Freed, reluctant to leave him so exposed, and knowing that Laxus would want to see what had become of his teammate, even though the sight would end up haunting him…

    When he returned a few minutes later, he carefully laid Freed on the far side of the room, pausing for a moment before he stripped off his vest and gently putting it over the gaping wound, hoping to spare the Laxus the sight of it when he woke up. With a last glance at the swordsman, he bowed his head for a moment before turning and heading back across to Laxus, knowing that the Lightning mage’s wounds needed to be tended to before anything else and just praying that it wasn’t too late to help him.

**

   Laxus groaned softly as he began to shift towards consciousness, and as the shadows slowly began to clear a small part of his mind registered surprise that he was even able to wake up. The memories of what had happened hitting him hard along with the realisation that by all rights that last attacks should have killed him, and he had no idea why it hadn’t. Even before he had managed to crack his eyes open, he felt the tears welling up - the image of Freed desperately throwing himself between the Dragon and Laxus replaying on loop, and a choked sob escaped before he could stop it. _Damn it Freed, I told you that you needed to survive…that at least one of the Raijinshu had to stay alive…_

“Laxus?” A quiet voice asked, and he jolted in surprise, idly wondering how he had managed to miss the fact that he wasn’t alone.  “Are you awake?” In the second question, his eyes shot open, desperate hope welling in his chest. _Could it be…Freed?_ But he came up short when he found himself starting up at familiar olive eyes, and a weary face framed by unique pink-hair that was stained with smoke and grime and hung limp and lifeless baring no resemblance to its once spiked style.

“N…Natsu?” He asked hoarsely, blinking as the other Dragon-slayer’s face slipped in and out of focus for a moment. The serious expression the other was wearing making him unsure of whether he was imaging things, because Natsu had never looked that grim before.

“Yeah,” Natsu confirmed softly, shaking slightly from relief as he had been terrified that the older man wasn’t going to wake up again given how serious his wounds were. However, he quickly refocused on Laxus when the other Dragon-slayer began to shift awkwardly, making a feeble attempt to sit up and he quickly he reached out to place a restraining hand on Laxus’s shoulder. “Woah, don’t try to move!” He ordered urgently as he gently pushed the large man down, the fact that Laxus obeyed without argument only fanning his concern.

“Wha’ happened?” Laxus asked as he resettled, blinking heavily for a moment before his eyes widened and it was only the hand still resting on his shoulder that stopped him from shooting upright as he asked desperately. “Freed?”

“I’m sorry,” Natsu whispered, and Laxus froze a whirling mix of fury and sorrow rapidly crushing the spark of hope he had been clinging too, and he desperately wanted to deny the Fire Mage’s words. Understanding olive eyes held his gaze for a moment before the Natsu slowly tilted his head off to the side, and weakly raising his head Laxus followed his gaze, his eyes welling up as they landed on the still form of the swordsman laid neatly off to the side.

“Freed…”

“He was already gone when I found you,” Natsu’s voice was soft, and Laxus briefly glanced at him, startled by the guilt he could see lurking in the olive eyes that met his gaze for a second. _Why are you blaming yourself? You weren’t the one at his side when…_

“I should be the one lying there,” he whispered as a single tear streaked down his cheek. He had been the one to rush into the battle, overconfident in his own abilities even after the continuous stream of defeats over the past few months. He had been the one lost in his anger and the thrill of battle. Freed hadn’t even wanted to fight, having desperately tried to convince him to leave the Dragon be only to be brushed aside, and yet when it came down to it, he had followed Laxus into battle…and look what he had got for his efforts.

“You nearly were,” Natsu muttered, gesturing at Laxus’s body as he continued softly and with such concern in his voice that the Lightning mage was stunned…he had to be bad for the ever-optimistic mage to sound that serious.  “You’re a mess. I bandaged what I could, but all I had was an old sheet I found upstairs, so they’re not brilliant. You won’t be able to move or fight for a while.” Laxus frowned as he carefully lifted his head so that he could see more of his body, his eyes narrowing as he took in the rough bandages covering most of his torso and now that he thought about it he could feel them on his legs as well. He was also aware of the unspoken ‘ _if you can ever fight again’_ in Natsu’s voice, and despite the weakness assailing him right now, he felt himself bristling at the assumption.

“Like you’re one to talk.” Laxus pointed out abruptly as he took a proper look at the Fire mage, taking in the cuts, grazes and bruises covering most of Natsu’s visible skin and spying tatty, old bandages partially hidden by the distinctive scarf he still wore although the white material had long since turned grey and there were crimson stains in various places…blood stains he realised. Natsu grimaced as he glanced down at himself, aware that he was a mess but shrugging it off - he could still fight, and that was all that mattered now. Even he sensed that there was more to the retort, and he spoke up hesitantly.

“Laxus…”

“Enough….” Laxus cut off the weak attempt, glaring briefly at Natsu who much to his surprise shrank back at the look without offering even the slightest protest before slowly he turned his head away from both Freed and Natsu as he retreated into his own thoughts and grief. Behind him, he heard Natsu sigh softly, and then there was the sound of movement, and he had to fight the urge to turn back as he heard the Fire Mage moving away to give him space. _Damn it when it did you become this considerate?_ He wondered with an edge of bitterness to the thought, an argument might help to cut through the cloud pressing in on him.

**

    Laxus let out a soft breath before carefully turning back to seek out Natsu. His thoughts and emotions were still a mess, but he knew that lying there in silence wasn’t going to help him make sense of them and he found himself wishing that the other Dragon-slayer was being his usual noisy self. He wasn’t about to admit how much the change was worrying him. His eyes narrowed as they settled on the huddled form by the doorway, studying the bowed head for a moment with curiosity and concern.

“Natsu?” He said quietly, knowing that the other would hear it regardless, and sure enough, the Fire Mage’s head shot upwards at the quiet question, and there was a hint of alarm in his eyes as he met Laxus’s gaze. With a sigh, Laxus beckoned to him, and the alarm eased away into wariness as Natsu slowly got to his feet and moved across to join him. “Why are you here?” The Lightning mage asked when Natsu finally settled down beside him, still maintaining a careful distance between them which bothered him more than he liked to admit although he didn’t comment on it.

“We wanted to come…home,” Natsu replied slowly, his face twisting on the final word and Laxus felt his own expression echoing the same bitterness that flickered briefly across the Fire Mage’s face… _Home? Can Magnolia even be called home anymore?_ Deciding not to focus on that for now, Laxus instead narrowed his eyes as he realised what else Natsu had said.

“We?”

“Me and Lucy,” Natsu replied, a small smile slipping free at the mention of the Celestial mage although it was a weak echo of his old smile and it disappeared rapidly as he continued quietly. “I left her out at my old house. It was safer than both of us coming into town.” She hadn’t been happy with the idea of being left behind, but Natsu had dug in his heels. They had no idea how dangerous the town could be, and she was the last of their team left besides him and he hadn’t wanted to risk her safety unless it was essential and eventually she had caved.

“I see,” Laxus muttered, oddly relieved to hear that Natsu wasn’t entirely on his own. He knew that he had only got through the last year and a half since the guild was destroyed because he hadn’t been on his own, and he wasn’t as close as Natsu was to the rest of their friends. Still, his eyes narrowed as he realised that Natsu had only mentioned the Celestial mage and he couldn’t help but wonder why they had split away from the rest of their team before he could ask though Natsu had begun to speak once more.

“What about you?” Natsu asked cautiously, his gaze flicking briefly across to where Freed lay before refocusing on Laxus and noting the fresh flash of pain that had appeared in blue eyes. “Why were you here?” Laxus and the Raijinshuu had been some of the first guild members to flee from Magnolia, the memories of losing Makarov too much for the Dragon-slayer to bear and they had heard nothing about the quartet since, and in all honesty, they had begun to count them amongst the list of the dead.

“We’d heard rumours of survivors trying to set up camp here,” Laxus replied eventually just as Natsu was beginning to think that he wasn’t going to respond, and his eyes widened at the statement, _why would anyone choose to return here?_ He thought sadly as he glanced around briefly at the ruined town before turning back to the Lightning mage as Laxus continued, his voice growing softer as he added. “We thought maybe we could protect them…”

“Survivors,” Natsu breathed, it had been months since he and Lucy had seen anyone else and they had begun to feel as though they were the only ones left alive in Fiore, and he couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice as he asked excitedly. “Did you find them?” There was no way they would be able to stay put for long, but he knew it would do Lucy a world of good to see that there were other people still alive in this chaos. _It would do me good…_

“If they were here they were destroyed before we arrived,” Laxus replied grimly, his expression sorrowful as he noticed the brief flicker of hope that had lit the olive eyes die out immediately, and despite his own certainty that they had probably been killed he hastily added. “I hope they saw the state of the town and turned back.”

“Yeah…”

“What about the rest of the guild?” Laxus asked slowly after a few moments of silence, shifting his body awkwardly so that it was easier for him to look at the younger Dragon-slayer, biting back the groan of pain that rose as his injuries protested the movement and waving aside Natsu as the other Dragon-slayer leant into him with a concerned expression. “Have you seen anyone else?”

“Not for a couple of months…” Natsu admitted softly, his gaze falling to the ground as he recalled that last encounter and his hands clenched into fists against the ground as grief that he’d thought he’d managed to bury surged forwards once more. Laxus observed the reaction with growing dread, realising that there was only one outcome that could have triggered that response, and despite his best efforts, his voice was shaking as he asked softly.

“Who?”

“Macao…” Natsu whispered, and Laxus opened his mouth although he had no idea what he could say, knowing that Natsu had always been close to the other Fire mage but before he could force any words out the other Dragon-slayer had already continued. “We found him and the others out near the border with Veronica. Wakaba and Romeo were already…” Natsu had to pause as his throat closed and he shook his head unable to finish, although there really wasn’t any need…

_It had been purple flashes filling the sky that had drawn their attention and recognising the signs of non-draconic magic the pair had hastily headed in that direction regardless of the danger. It had been weeks since they’d last seen anyone else, and they were desperate to see another face even if it meant heading into a fight to do so. By the time they had finally reached the source of the magic though, the battle had already been over. They had been too late…_

_The small village had been razed to the ground, not a single building has survived the attack, and here and there they could see traces of people that had clearly been caught beneath the collapsing buildings. It took all their willpower to press onwards, neither of them feeling able to cope with more loss, but they needed to find whoever had been using magic, praying that somehow, they might have managed to survive…_

_It was in the main square of the village that they finally found the object of their search, and for a moment hope had filled them as they had spotted an obviously alive Macao sat against a small wall and they had immediately rushed into the open. It hadn’t taken long for them to realise that their hope had been misleading as their eyes finally fell on the still form that the older man was cradling in his lap. A choked noise escaping Natsu as he realised a moment before Lucy just who it was, and she had already been weeping by the time they had reached the other mage._

_“I lost him…” Macao whispered as he looked up at them with no hint of recognition in his eyes, tears streaking down his cheeks as he ran a trembling hand through Romeo’s hair. The teenager’s face was shockingly peaceful considering the end he had faced, and he looked startlingly young just then, and Natsu had let out a low noise of pain at the sight…memories of the awestruck little boy that had once followed him around coming back to haunt him, and his hands clenched into fists at his side…_

_“What happened?” Lucy was the one to ask, her eyes sad as she laid a hand on Natsu’s shoulder as she felt him beginning to tremble beside him. Usually, he was the one to comfort her in these situations, but he had been a lot closer to Romeo that she had, and it was clear that the hold he had on his emotions was beginning to fray._

_“We were trying to find somewhere to hole up,” Macao replied after a moment, his voice dull and his gaze was fixated on some distant spot. “Somewhere free of Dragons…But there isn’t anywhere…we had been here a day when they attacked…there was so many of them and we were the only mages here…we had to try and buy time for the civilians to escape…Wakaba…” He choked on the name of his best friend and his gaze focused for a brief moment, and turning slightly they followed it, fresh grief flaring as they spotted the other mage sprawled on the far side of the square. “He tried to make a path, so I could get Romeo out, but we were cut off…and then Romeo…Romeo…” He dissolved into fresh tears and Natsu, and Lucy exchanged helpless looks, knowing that there was nothing they could do or say that would make this situation any better for the older fire mage._

_“Macao we need to get out of here before the Dragons return,” Lucy said softly after several long minutes had passed, aware of just how vulnerable they were stood out in the open like this and knowing that there was no way that they could risk a battle at the moment. “We…”_

_“No, this is where my story ends,” Macao said softly cutting her off, and Natsu’s head shot up in alarm, and there was a somewhat sympathetic expression on the older mage’s face as he slowly moved his hand to lift his coat, revealing the deep gash hidden beneath it. The Dragon-slayer felt as though all the air had been forced out of his lungs. He might not be a healer, but he could tell that there was no coming back from a wound like that._

_“No…”_

_“Sorry,” Macao apologised softly before his eyes dropped to his son, and he closed his eyes for a moment before glancing back up at them with a calmly accepting expression. “It’s much better this way. I don’t want to outlive my son…and I don’t want him to be on his own for long.”_

_“Macao,”_

_“Just make sure you survive,” Macao said sternly as he gazed at the Dragon-slayer before he glanced at Lucy and offered a weak attempt at a smile at the hovering Celestial mage as he added in a softer voice. “Both of you…and Natsu?”_

_“Yeah?” Natsu asked, struggling to keep his voice level although his eyes remained stubbornly dry as he met Macao’s eyes._

_“Take care of her,” Macao ordered, and Natsu blinked at both the tone and words, his expression growing grimmer as the older man continued with another glance down at Romeo. “Losing what’s most precious to you…”_

_“Yeah I know,” Natsu whispered as he glanced briefly at Lucy who was staring at him with wide eyes. However, he whirled around as he heard a soft sigh from beside him and his eyes widened with horror as he found the older man had slumped forward, his head resting against his chest…a chest that was no longer rising and falling. “MACAO!”_

    Laxus was silent as he watched Natsu lose himself in the memory, easily able to imagine how bad it must have been from the pain written across the other Dragon-slayer’s face and he hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice immediately startling Natsu out of his memories.

“We lost Ever about a month after the Guildhall was destroyed,” Laxus’ voice was hard as he spoke, his eyes fixated on the ceiling above him…

_She had been out trying to find supplies for the group and had never returned, and when they went to search for her they had found her she was already gone. Even to this day they were unsure of what had happened, there hadn’t been any fresh wounds and as far as they knew there had been no Dragons in the immediate area. It still haunted him that they had no idea what had happened in her last moments._

“And Brixlow a couple of months ago…”

_The Seith mage had been badly wounded in a skirmish, and without proper supplies or access to a healer there had been little they could do, and in the end, they had been forced to watch as he slowly faded away in front of their eyes._

“Freed was the only one left and he threw himself in front of me…”

“Yeah, that sounds like something he would do,” Natsu said softly, glancing across at Freed once more as he recalled just how dedicated the swordsman had been to Laxus. Of the Raijinshuu he was the one that had taken Laxus’s exile the hardest, even though he had been the quietest about his feelings on the matter. It only made sense that he would do anything to keep the Lightning Dragon-slayer safe once he had him back. Laxus made a soft noise of agreement, even though he desperately wished that it hadn’t been something that the other mage would have even considered doing.

He wasn’t worth the other man’s life.

“Who else have we lost?” Laxus forced himself to ask after a moment, knowing that he probably didn’t want to know the answer but needing to ask. Hoping desperately that the news wasn’t as bad as he imagined it could be, but if it had been months since Natsu and Lucy had seen anyone... “How many?”

_How many died while I lost myself in grief and anger? How many fairies have been snuffed out by those beasts? How many of our family are left?_

“Too many,” Natsu replied softly, sounding far older than his years as he stared down at his hands which were twisted together in his lap. There were too many memories crowding in on him, and he shuddered before forcing them back so that he could reply, although his voice shook violently as he spoke.  “Wendy, Gray and Juvia died when Crocus fell, and we haven’t seen Erza since then either, so we don’t know…”

   The attack on the Capital had been a massacre, and there had been nothing that they could do to stop it. Gray and Juvia had been trying to evacuate civilians when the buildings around them had collapsed - they had waited for days in the hopes that the pair would reappear, but they never did, and they had never had the chance to retrieve their bodies, the piles of rubble serving as their grave. And Wendy…Wendy should never have been in a battle like that, and yet she had fought as hard as the rest of them until her magic had run out, and Natsu had been too late. He had running towards her the second he realised she was unable to continue, but the Dragon had got there first…

“Erza will be fine,” Laxus said without a hint of doubt, trying not to focus on the fact that the others were lost although it answered his question as to why Natsu and Lucy were on their own. And he desperately wanted to do something, anything to ease the terrible grief written across Natsu’s face. _Just what the hell has he been through to put that expression on his face? Even when he spoke about Macao and the others he didn’t look this bad._ “She’s too stubborn to die and much too strong…” His lips twitched slightly at his words, realising how ironic it was for him to be defending her strength when years ago he had insisted that Mystogan was overestimating her. Although he had to admit she had more than made him eat his words over the years.

“Yeah,” Natsu agreed weakly, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe the other man’s words despite the faith he had in Erza, because surely if she had been well enough she would have sought them out by now. Blinking back the tears he could feel forming in the corners of his eyes, refusing to show that much weakness in front of Laxus even now.

“There are more aren’t there?” Laxus asked heavily, seeing the effort that Natsu was putting into holding back his tears and realising just how bad it must be for Natsu to be in such a state. Part of him hating the fact that the Fire mage clearly felt it necessary to hold back his emotions in front of him, but deep down he knew that he was terrible at comforting others and their relationship had always been based on rivalry more than anything.

“Yeah…” Natsu replied softly, hesitating for a moment as he was reluctant to name all those that he was aware of the memories of what had happened to simmer to close to the surface already after seeing Freed and recalling what had happened to Macao and the others.

“Tell me.”

“That we know of?” Natsu asked faintly, and Laxus nodded silently, scowling as he watched Natsu visibly gathering himself before speaking and the Lightning mage tried to brace himself for the news he was about to receive. “Mira, Elfman and Lisanna…they were caught up in the attack on Crocus as well…Mira survived the original attack, but she didn’t want to go on without the others, and the last we saw of her was her charging into a group of Dragons…” Natsu trailed off for a moment, the battle against his tears becoming harder as his thoughts turned to Lisanna…she had been the last one that he had managed to cry for…the fear and regret in her eyes as she lay dying in his arms was the image that had haunted him the most over the months since then.

“Natsu…”

“Sorry I’m fine,” Natsu said shaking his head softly at the concerned voice, reaching up to wipe his eyes for a moment before continuing quietly. “We heard that Cana was caught in the attack that took out most of Blue Pegasus, but we don’t know for sure. Gajeel was killed a couple of months ago…he and Lily were protecting Levy after the Jet and Droy…She came with us, but the heart had gone out of her, and one day she just disappeared…”

    Natsu had gone after her when they had woken in the morning to find her gone, and he had finally found her deeper into the forest they had been passing through. He still wasn’t sure what she had done, but she was gone by the time he reached her, and in the end he had buried her there in the forest before returning to Lucy. He had never told the Celestial mage what had happened, and even now she clung to the hope that Levy was out there somewhere…and he couldn’t bring himself to shatter that hope, knowing that it was one of the only things that kept her going.

“We’re not sure about the rest…” Natsu admitted, but it was clear from both his tone and expression that he thought that they would have suffered a similar fate to the others. “The other guilds haven’t fared any better…and civilians…” He shook his head helplessly, most of the people had been relying on the mages to protect them after the council mages had proved ineffective and after an attempt at using Etherion had failed spectacularly, and by the time they had realised that the mages were just as helpless as the rest of them, it had been too late…

“Damn it all,” Laxus snarled, but there was no real strength to it, and he closed his eyes wearily as he clenched his hands into fists at his side. _So many…so many lives lost…_ He had allowed himself to become lost in the grief of losing Makarov, and later Ever and Brixlow that he had never truly allowed himself to consider what had happened to the rest of the guild. Yet somewhere deep inside he had been clinging to the belief that Fairy Tail would always find a way through this hell, that somewhere out there was the rest of his family. _How foolish was I to believe that?_ “What the hell is it that they want? If they wanted to rule over us all, what is the point of killing us all off?”

“I don’t know…” Natsu whispered with a frown, it was a question he had asked him every day since the first attack, and yet he was still no closer to finding the answer. He was no longer sure that there was an answer, that the Dragons ripping Fiore apart had any reason for what they were doing beyond a love of wanton destruction. “Not a single one of them has ever spoken to us, and even with all these Dragons there’s still been no sign of Igneel or the others…”

“Are you afraid he’ll turn out to be like the rest of them?” Laxus’s voice was soft as he picked up the odd note buried within Natsu’s anguished voice, and he schooled his expression into one of encouragement when alarmed olive eyes darted across to meet his gaze. The Lightning mage was stunned to realise that he had possibly hit closer to the mark than he had ever intended.

“No,” Natsu denied finally, but under the sharp blue eyes, he fidgeted for a moment before sighing and continuing reluctantly.  “Maybe…or it’s more like I’m afraid that somehow I imagined those years with him.” Every Dragon they had encountered - from Acnologia back on Tenroujima to every single one they’d faced since had well and truly lived up to the terrifying and monstrous image that most people had of them. Not once had he seen even a glimmer of the compassion and respect for humanity that Igneel had always conveyed through his teachings, and he knew that Gajeel had said something similar back before he…he forcefully turned his thoughts away, knowing that he would fall apart if he didn’t.

   Laxus was stunned by the Fire mage’s words, having never once seen Natsu falter in the belief he had in his foster-father. Not even when they were younger, and most of the guild had been reluctant to believe the pink-haired boy and his tales of being raised by a dragon, and he found himself at a complete loss at what to say.

**

   The pair had lapsed into silence, the atmosphere heavy with shared grief and unspoken words as Natsu stared resolutely at the ground unable to bring himself to look at Laxus after his confession. While the Lightning mage was lost in his own thoughts, highly aware of the fact that his strength was waning despite having his wounds treated and the rest he had been getting, and a small part of him realised what that meant. His gaze shifted to Natsu at that realisation, his expression sorrowful at the thought that he would be adding to the other Dragon-slayer’s burden - studying the other mage it was hard to find any trace of the brash idiot that he had fought with so much in the past, and he felt a pang of loss at that thought.

   It was odd to see the Fire Mage without the defiance and stubbornness that had always characterised him, although Laxus knew without a doubt that if he had been here when he and Freed were attacked or if anyone or anything tried to hurt Lucy, Natsu would still fight to the very end regardless of whether he could win. He could remember how desperately Natsu had tried to continue fighting the day the guild had been destroyed, even though he was half-dead from magical exhaustion and his injuries should have left him unable to move. In a way, it had been as terrifying and inspiring as watching the Old man charge the dragons…

   Shying away from thoughts of his grandfather, his thoughts turned instead to the last true battle he’d had with Natsu. The battle at the Cathedral during his rebellious faze had been something that he had never forgotten, because it had been something, he had never predicted. He had been confident in his assessments of all the mages that he might face - admittedly not expecting the two new ex-Phantom members to play such a significant role either, but not once had it crossed his mind that Natsu would be the one to stop him. The Dragon-slayer had undoubtedly been strong, even back then, but he had still been miles away from the S-class mages, and Laxus had dismissed him as a mere nuisance.

   How wrong he had been, and how glad he was that he been so wrong back then. Even after everything that had happened, the thought of what could have happened if he had prevailed continued to haunt him - he would never have had the chance to grow both as a person and a mage. He would never have discovered the true meaning of being a part of Fairy Tail. He wouldn’t have had the opportunity to make fresh memories with his Grandfather and the Guild-hall. It occurred to him that in all the time that had passed since then he and Natsu had never spoken about what had happened back then and glancing back at Natsu he knew that this would be the last chance he had to address what had happened.

“I never got to thank you,” he said suddenly, scowling at how weak his voice sounded in the silence but determined to persevere regardless.

“Thank me?” Natsu asked with a confused frown, tilting his head in question as he turned to look at Laxus, something shifting in his chest when he realised that the Lightning mage had grown even paler over the course of the last few minutes.

“For beating me,” Laxus replied managing a weak smile, before breaking off to cough heavily, wincing as it said spikes of pain through his body and he had to wait a couple of minutes to catch his breath before he was able to continue.  “Back when I tried to take over the guild…”

“Laxus, don’t…” Natsu protested weakly, hating the defeated edge to the older man's voice and knowing full well what a conversation like that would indicate, and there was no way that he was ready for that.. His eyes were dark as he glanced across at Freed's still form.., he couldn't lose another one, and yet deep down he knew that it was inevitable as he listened to Laxus's ragged breathing.

“I want to,” Laxus murmured softly, offering a pained smile as he took in the grim realisation in Natsu's eyes as he added quietly. "And it's probably the only chance I’m going to get to do it.” It was odd he thought, months ago...no, even just yesterday the thought of throwing in the towel, of giving up...of dying...would have been something that he would have fought desperately against even though he knew logically that there was no they could win. But now, with his grandfather was long gone, and without the Raijinshuu to give him something to fight for... _what was the point of continuing a battle that was always going to end this way?_

“Don’t say that!” Natsu insisted with a scowl...just because he realised the reality of the situation, it didn't mean that he was just going to quietly sit back and accept it. _This was Laxus! He couldn't give up without a fight._   “You…”

“I’ve reached the end of the road,” Laxus cut across the weak protest, with an understanding expression that he would never have shown the Fire mage in the past, and Natsu shrank back at the sight of it.  “I can feel it Natsu. I can feel myself slipping away.”

“No,” Natsu whispered as he shook his head in frantic denial... _Damn it Laxus, please don't say that...please..._ Pain flashed across his face as numerous farewells flickered through his mind and he found himself grasping at his knees, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises as he struggled to hold in the howl of anguish that he could feel rising in his chest. There was a roaring sound filling his ears, but gradually he realised that Laxus was speaking again and with great difficulty he forced himself to focus on what the other was saying.

“So…I have to say it now.”

“Idiot,” Natsu muttered, startled by how calm his voice sounded considering the storm of emotions still raging inside him. “It’s not something you have to thank me for.” He had forgiven Laxus for that incident long ago, and his anger had faded even quicker...he had been brutally honest in his efforts to prevent the Old man from exiling the other Dragon-slayer, although in hindsight he realised that it had been for the best. Still, there was no need for Laxus to thank him, especially not here and now...

“It is,” Laxus denied softly, raising his uninjured hand slowly and holding it above himself for a moment as he clenched it into a fist ignoring the way his arm shook violently from the effort of holding it aloft. “I nearly destroyed everything…just because I was hung up on being the strongest…on proving that I wasn’t just the grandson of Fairy Tail’s master…” He had been so hung up on the belief that, that was how everyone saw him that he had never once stopped to consider how people really saw him - who he really was. and it was the guild that had so nearly paid the price for his blindness.

“What does it matter?” Natsu asked with a frown, unable to understand why Laxus was suddenly so fixated on the issue and there was a trace of irritation in his voice as he added. “What happened then is in the past. Yeah, you were an idiot, but everything worked out in the end, and you learnt from it.”

“But…” Laxus shook his head slightly, pausing to gather his thoughts and try to work out how to explain why Natsu’s actions back then meant so much to him. “It’s thanks to you that I was able to have more time with Fairy Tail…I was able to rediscover what it meant to be part of our family, to repair my relationship with Gramps…to makes memories with everyone.” He was panting by the end, feeling his chest struggling to rise and fall as he fought to draw in a breath and as he looked at Natsu he realised that his vision was beginning to blur around the edges and he clenched his hand. No, he couldn’t go just yet…not before he had got Natsu to understand…not before…”

     Natsu had been stunned by the Lightning mage’s words, having never considered what had happened from that point of view. He had always taken the simple view that Laxus had merely had a brief period of being an idiot,

“I see,” he said softly, realising that whether he truly understood didn’t matter. Laxus wanted to thank him, and it was clear that he was fading and there was no way that he was going to let the Lightning mage go with such a simple wish unfulfilled.  “If that’s how you feel…then I accept your thanks, although I still don’t feel it’s necessary. It’s what our guild is good at, forgiving what people have done in the past…”

“I know,” Laxus smiled wearily, relief engulfing him that Natsu finally seemed to be getting what he was trying to say, but he was still reluctant to accept the easy absolution being offered and he felt honour bound to point out that his actions had been very different.  “But…I tried…to destroy it…from the inside. I betrayed…as well as hurt.” He blinked heavily, realising with a flicker of dread just how difficult it had been to say just that short sentence, and it was a battle to reopen his eyes, and he knew that his time was nearly up.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Natsu voice was soft and pained, his sharp ears picked up just how strained the Lightning mage’s breathing was now, and the slowing beat of his heart and he felt his eyes beginning to sting once more as realisation set in. “What matters is that you are a member of Fairy Tail and that you have done everything within your power to defend the guild. T-that’s all that matters…” His voice was shaking wildly by the end, his hands clenched by his side as he struggled to hold himself together, but there was no doubting the sincerity in his words, and despite the situation, Laxus smiled. It was faint, but it was an honest smile…

“Natsu….” He whispered reaching out blindly with a hand, barely able to make out the other mage now, and he sighed with relief when a warm hand gripped his helping to ground him. “Thank you…” _Thank you for back then, for being here now…for forgiving me…_ His eyes slipped shut, and despite his best attempts he couldn’t force them open again, and he sensed Natsu leaning over him, and there was an edge of panic to the Fire mage’s voice as he called his name.

“Laxus?”

“I…leave…the rest…to you,” Laxus managed to force out, dredging up a final spark of strength from somewhere and he felt the hand holding his tighten and something moist land on his skin, and he felt a brief wave of sorrow for placing so much on the younger mage.

“Yeah,” Natsu’s whisper was the last thing he heard, and a contented expression settled on his face, even as the world around him began to slowly disappear piece by piece until he knew nothing more.

**

    There were tears streaming down Natsu's cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away or stem the flow, his fingers trembling as he squeezed the lax hand he was clinging to, trying to ignore the chill had crept into Laxus' skin as he stared a the blond's still face and the peaceful expression it bore. He was one of the few to die with an expression like that, and yet that fact didn't make it any easier for him to accept the other Dragon-slayer's death.

    _Why do I have to be the one to watch everyone die?_ He wondered bitterly, terrified by the mere thought that in the end, he might find himself the last Fairy Tail wizard left alive. _No, that would never happen because I will die before I let anything happen to Lucy. Although she would hate me if I leave her alone…_ His lips twitched at that thought, although his expression lacked any traces of humour as he forcefully turned his mind away from melancholy thoughts. It didn’t matter how bad things got, how many people lost…he had to keep going…for Lucy and for the memories of those that already died.

   Slowly and with more than a hint of reluctance, he gently lowered Laxus’s hand until it was resting against the mage’s chest, his fingers lingering for a moment before he released it completely. Fiercely he reached up and dashed at the tears still streaming down his face, rubbing unmercifully at his eyes until the flow slowed and finally stopped… _I thought I had shed all of my tears…_ he hadn’t cried since Lisanna…not even the news of Macao’s death had managed to penetrate the barrier he had erected around his emotions…but Laxus…perhaps, because they were here in Magnolia, back where it all began, had managed to shred that barrier to pieces and he had no idea if he could rebuild it.

**

   Natsu’s eyes were red-rimmed and yet strangely dry as he stood in front of the crude cairn he had fashioned to protect Freed and Laxus' bodies. _How many of these had he built now..._? It hurt to realise that at some point he had stopped counting, but he had never stopped building them, it didn't matter whether he knew them or not, or that there would soon be no one left to even wonder who lay where let alone mourn for them. His hands clenched at his sides at that thought, hating the thought of anyone, especially his Nakama being left entombed in lonely places. As always, his thoughts turned to the empty cairns they had built outside of Crocus for Gray and Juvia, and he bit his lip as familiar rage churned in his chest. _Gray deserved better…they both did…at least they were together at the end…I couldn’t bear it if they were completely on their own in that place…_

   Taking a breath to calm himself he turned his attention to the large flat stone he had lent against the front of the cairn, the only marker he could offer them. Focusing his magic, he knelt and carefully drew out the guild insignia with his flames, scoring it into the rock until he was satisfied that it was deep enough to last for as long as possible. He had done this for the other mages as well, marking their final resting places with their various guild marks regardless of whether they were friend or foe. It was the only gesture that he had left to give them. Gently he traced the mark with his fingertips, his free hand going up to rest against his own guild mark. _How many of us are left? Would the mark one day disappear if there was no one else left?_ He swallowed hard at that thought, knowing without a doubt that losing this last link to his family would be the thing that would shatter him completely.

   Reluctantly he rose to his feet, knowing that he had already been gone far too long and that Lucy would be worried for him and that the longer he lingered here, the more danger there was that he would be discovered. For a moment he just stared at the cairn with his head bowed, before forcing himself to take a step back before whispering softly.   

“Farewell,”   _I’m sure we’ll be along to join you soon enough._ The unspoken words hung in the air and Natsu shivered before abruptly turning on his heel and heading back the way he had originally come, it was time to leave Magnolia for good.

****

    It had taken him nearly an hour to get back across town, having been forced to find hiding places several times as Dragons flew past overhead, searching for any humans that had escaped the purge. Usually, he wouldn’t have bothered to hide. Normally, he would have stood boldly out in the open and challenged them to a fight, but the flame of defiance and determination that had been driving him ever onwards was burning low. And for the first time in his life he found himself wanting to do anything but fight, although he realised that it wouldn't be long before he was forced to fight once more, there was nowhere left where they could hide for long.

   Finally, he reached the small dirt path that led up towards what remained of his old house, and with a sign he began to trudge up it, fighting his way through the forest which had long since started to reclaim the path. The pain in his heart flared anew as the remains of the house came into view, at some point something had slammed into it, destroying most of the roof and upper floor. Plants were slowly creeping over the rest of the house, and he knew that within a few more months it would be lost entirely from view...tears prickled in his eyes at the thought of the home that he had shared with Happy being completely lost... _Happy..._ He bit his lip at the thought of his partner, the urge to weep growing as it always did when he thought of the Exceed.

    Before he could give in to the urge though he had stepped out into the open, his eyes immediately darting to where Lucy was sat leaning against the front wall her head bowed in thought, and he hastily dashed at his eyes before she could see the gathering tears. He didn't want to tell her about Laxus and Freed unless he has to. He didn't want to see another little piece of her die, she had already lost too much of herself with the deaths she'd been forced to witness. _I couldn't protect you back then, but I can and will protect you from further pain..._

"Natsu!” Lucy cried, whirling as she caught the sound of his approach, and her eyes were full of relief when they fell on him, and before he could respond, she had shot towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a desperate hug and her voice shook wildly as she continued. “You were gone so long I thought…” She didn’t need to finish the sentence, they had both lost so many of their friends now, that they both knew that once a certain amount of time had passed, there was little chance of that person returning. It had been a hard lesson to learn, and at the start they had waited for days in the hope of people returning, only to be shattered when they discovered the truth.

“Sorry for worrying you,” Natsu murmured softly as he returned the hug, guilt for scaring her breaking through the numbness that had overcome him since the moment that Laxus had finally slipped away, and he dropped his head so that he could bury his face against her shoulder as he added in a muffled voice. “There was something I had to take care off.”

“What?” Lucy asked curiously, bewildered by the desperation she could feel radiating off him as he clung to her and she had caught the hint of redness still lingering around his eyes, _had he been crying?_

“It’s not important,” Natsu replied as he forced himself to pull away, knowing that if he didn’t, there was no way he would be able to convince her, and he avoided her gaze as he caught the suspicious glint in her eyes as she studied him.  “There’s nothing left for us here, we should move on…” He continued quietly as he glanced up at the house once more with sad eyes, his thoughts turning to the lonely grave that lay behind it… _Magnolia is dead…our home is gone…our family…_

“Are you sure?” Lucy asked gently as she detected the note of finality in his voice, she still wasn’t convinced by the way he had brushed off her question, but she allowed herself to be derailed by the sadness she could see in his face as he looked at his home. He had never truly managed to be himself again after Happy had died, no matter what kind of smile or grin that he managed to force onto his face and she knew how much it hurt him to come back here, but he had never even hinted at never returning, and the sudden change worried her.

    The Dragon-slayer gave a shuddering sigh before nodding silently in response, before turning back to her and offering her a hand. Instinctively she reached out to take it, but as her gaze focused on it, she froze, her eyes going wide as she studied the numerous cuts and scrapes covering his hand.

“Natsu,” she whispered as she reached out, brushing against the torn skin with gentle fingers even a she felt her heart breaking at the sight. She recognised these wounds, he’d had them numerous times since the Dragons had appeared and her eyes were stinging as she raised her head to meet his gaze, reading the panic in his eyes even as she forced herself to ask in a shaky voice, already steeling her heart for the pain that she instinctively knew was to come. “W-who…who died?”

   Natsu stared at her wide-eyed for a long moment, cursing himself for being so careless after deciding not to tell her what had happened, and he desperately tried to think of what to say, his mind whirling. There had to be something else that he could say, anything to spare her from this pain…

“Natsu…” Lucy’s voice was soft and pleading, and reluctantly he met her gaze, and she offered him a weak attempt at a smile as she grasped his hand and squeezed it tenderly before adding with a hint of sternness in her voice. “Tell me.” The Dragon-slayer hesitated for another moment, but then he sighed in defeat when he saw in her eyes that she wasn’t going to let the matter drop.

“Freed and Laxus,” he whispered, feeling himself splintering as he watched her eyes widen with horror as the names registered, tears swimming in her eyes as she stepped back away from him as her hand clutched at her chest. This was what he had wanted to prevent. He could see the darkness in her eyes as she absorbed the news and all he wanted to do was take back the words, to stop that darkness from taking hold, but there was nothing he could do.

“No…” She finally whispered as she lost her battle against her tears. She didn’t ask for specifics, there was no need - the answer was written across his face, and there was nothing else in this world that would take their Nakama from them nowadays. After a moment she swallowed hard, and still making no attempt to deal with her tears she turned her full attention back to the Dragon-slayer as she demanded softly.  “You weren’t going to tell me?” It wasn’t really a question as she already knew the answer, and it was only confirmed by the small nod and defeated sigh that met her words and her eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t want to see you cry again,” Natsu admitted softly as he caught the glare, shifting his gaze elsewhere, hating the combination of anger and darkness in her eyes and knowing that she wouldn’t like his reason.

“Idiot,” Lucy muttered but there was no real anger in her voice, and warily Natsu turned back to look at her, blinking as she leant up so that she was right in his face as she pointed out sternly. “You’ve got to stop trying to protect me from everything! I’m not going to break!” She wasn’t entirely sure that the last bit was true. There were days when she felt that the slightest nudge would shatter her into pieces, but she wasn’t going to tell him that, not where there was such genuine concern in his expression as he studied her. _You can’t bear everything alone…you’re just as broken as I am even if you are better at hiding it. You don’t want to see me cry? I don’t want to see you suffering on your own because of me…_

“I know,” Natsu reassured her, knowing that she was far stronger than most people ever realised, but she was also more fragile than she realised…and she was all he had left in this world.   “But…” _But I want to protect you…I need to protect you…Macao told me too…_

“You want to protect me,” Lucy said softly, able to read the unspoken words swimming in his eyes and he ducked his head at being read so easily, but he didn’t deny her words, instead responding in a voice barely above a whisper.

“There’s been so many times when I couldn’t…”

“I know,” Lucy replied, reaching out gently to brush her fingers against the many scars on his arm as she added gently. “I feel exactly the same.” During the attack on the town, she had been desperately trying to reach the infuriated Fire mage when he had collapsed, and she had been forced to watch, thinking that she was about to watch him die in front of her eyes. If it hadn’t been for Gray, she would’ve…and there had been many times since then, when he had thrown himself into danger because of her, and she had been unable to stop him.

“Lucy…”

“That’s why we have to share things like this…we have to protect each other…so don’t hide things from me, alright?” She asked, gazing up at him with a pleading expression that tore at him and he knew that there was no way that he could deny her…not when she was looking at him so desperately.

“Alright,” he whispered finally as he reached up to gently brush away the tears still streaking down her cheeks, his eyes downcast as he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she reassured him, closing the slight distance between them and wrapping her arms tightly around him as she buried her face against his chest, realising for the first time that he had lost his vest at some point and for once grateful that there was nothing between them as she pressed closer. She needed this, needed him to ground her and remind her that even though their family had grown even smaller, they were still alive and together, and she let out a shuddering sigh as his arms finally came up to wrap around her, encompassing her in his warmth. _This is home._

     They stood like that for a good ten minutes, both of them needing the time to reaffirm that they were alive and together and to try and come to terms with the most recent loss. Finally, though Natsu pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head before reluctantly pulling back, and with a sniffle she also stepped back, reaching up to scrub roughly at her damp cheeks and sore eyes before offering him a weak smile as she caught him watching her with concerned eyes.

“Come on, let’s go,” she said softly. This time she was the one to reach out and offer him a hand, and after a split seconds hesitation, he took it in his own, squeezing her fingers softly in silent gratitude. Silently she returned the gesture before gently tugging his arm, and leading the way back into the forest and away from the ruined remnants of their old home…

_We’ll survive…_

_Together, we’ll find a way to get through this…_

 


End file.
